Don't Read This, Read Zechariah Instead!

 



The other day I was reading Sherry Sherwood's updated blog post, which pertained to Zechariah.  (Check out her excellent posting here:  http://www.mymorningcoffee.org/2012/08/31/ ).  Now, I can't say that I have ever sat down, opened my Bible, and thought, "Zechariah, here I come!"  But, I am so glad Sherry's blog prompted me to go check it out.  Not only did I read the excellent verses she discussed (in chapter 3) but I kept backing up and reading until I just gave up and started with chapter 1, verse 1, because it was so good.  I can't even begin to put into words what a good time I had with God.  Just go read it.  All of it.  Zechariah.  Go!  Go now! 

My next plan, actually, is to re-read Haggai (a Todd Keller favorite, love to hear him preach on Haggai!) and then read Zechariah immediately following.  I had never noticed that they were so close in proximity.  (Haggai begins with "In the second year of Darus the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month..." and Zechariah "In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius..."  Cool!  Just goes to show all that stuff I tend to skim over is WORTHWHILE!!!  ;) 

Okay, so what I love in my ESV study Bible is the background for Zechariah.  According to my ESV, God's people are DISCOURAGED.  The foundation for the temple had been laid after their return from Babylonian exile (that's the ESV talkin', not me!) but they had been met with opposition and hadn't made much progress.  So what was anticipation-fueled excitement had been replaced with discouragement.  They wanted to see the transformation that the prophets had spoken of, and they weren't seeing it.  They were discouraged, thought of God as absent, that faithful obedience was useless, and that theirs was "a day of small things." 

I don't know about you, individually, or collectively, as the body of Christ, but I have been there.  Discouraged.  Not excited.  Desperate for God's transformation (be it in myself, in my church, extrinsic, intrinsic, any and all of it)... wanting to see that "near revival" as a current reality instead of just always feeling on the brink, both for myself and for all of God's children (whether they know and believe they are God's children or not).

This background really helped set the tone for when I read Zechariah, which I really can't say I ever loved before.  With its lampstands and horsemen and scrolls flying through the air... previously, I just went "hmmmmm" and carried on.  But this time... wow.  I couldn't even make it past the first chapter without being utterly WOWED (when all I really wanted to do was get to the part Sherry discussed). 

Return.  Repent.  (1:1-6)  Necessary.  Can't really get on to anything else until you take care of this business first.  :)

But then, here comes that vision of a horseman and I'm just not that comfortable with it.  But I pushed past and read.  And what do you know, the horseman vision isn't creepy at all!  You see, in Zechariah's vision, the horseman is symbolic of God's angels watching the world (while God's people thought He wasn't.)  And they see the world at rest but God's people aren't at rest.  The angel of the Lord intercedes on behalf of Jerusalem. 

And here is what I love... in Zechariah 1:14 "So the angel who talked with me said to me, 'Cry out, Thus says the LORD of hosts:  I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. and then again in verse 17, "Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts:  My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem." 

Cry out.  Zechariah is instructed to cry out.  Now, the familiar pattern in the rest of Zechariah seems to be "Thus says the Lord of hosts" but without the "Cry out" preceding it.

This is what we need to be doing, both in our private prayer time and as the body of Christ.  We need to return.  We need to repent.  Yes, Church, we've got our foundation, but we can't build past that when we're met with opposition if we don't keep our foundation of God (be in His presence and stay there) and repentence.  Could it be that our brokenness makes for strong foundation?  When it's coupled with the strength of the LORD - I think the answer is yes!  What we need to do to keep the building momentum going is to CRY OUT.  Foundations were meant to be built upon, right?  So, do we cry out with emphasis?  With desperation?  Yes and yes.  Cry out that God is jealous for our families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, cities, countries, world... which is just a fancy way of saying God wants YOU!  He wants you!  Come as you are.  Don't delay.  We also need to cry out that we have a faithful God who keeps His promises.  "My cities shall again overflow with prosperity..."  The LORD will comfort us.  God wants YOU and there's freedom, victory, and comfort on the other side of that "Yes, Lord" and of that surrender and submitting.

What goes into building a foundation? One of the ingredients in concrete is some kind of aggregate or crushed up pieces of rock. Could it be that coming to the Lord in our brokenness makes for the strongest foundation? 

Don't be discouraged.  Don't stop wanting the restoration and revival in your own life, and the life of your church, and in your communities.  Zechariah 4:10 "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."